Firearms, such as rifles, can be fitted with various accessories to enhance the use of the rifle. One such accessory is a bipod which is typically fitted to a stock of a rifle forward of the trigger mechanism but rearward of the tip of the barrel of the rifle. Bipods typically include a pair of legs that are collapsible and extendable. When the legs are extended they may rest on the ground or some other supporting surface in order to stabilise the forward end of the rifle. Bi-pods typically include a fitting that attaches to the rifle. The legs typically extend from the fitting and, thus, from the rifle. The fitting that attaches to the rifle acts as a pivot point for the movement of the barrel of the rifle either vertically, horizontally or radially to acquire a target aiming point.
When the user is in a prone position the user must support part of the weight of the rifle by resting a butt of the stock on the user's arm and shoulder. The user may hold their cheek against the stock. Alternatively, the user may physically place a support under the butt or otherwise make adjustments that will stabilise the butt at a desired height above the supporting surface before supporting part of the weight of the rifle with the user's arm and shoulder and holding their cheek against the stock. Stabilising the butt at a desired height permits the user to move the barrel of the rifle horizontally whilst substantially preventing any vertical movement. Existing support devices can include a screw threaded assembly requiring a user to move their hand to adjust a screw thread and thereby adjust the height of the butt above a supporting surface. When the user is supporting part of the weight of the rifle invariably the barrel of the rifle will move due to movement of parts of the user's body in contact with the rifle such as the user's arm, hand, shoulder and cheek.
In general, when a user is shooting a rifle fitted with a bipod from the prone position the user's first movement is to aim the sights of the rifle at the vicinity of the target. With subsequent more precise movements the user will then aim the sights of the rifle directly at the target aiming point. If before firing the rifle is to be maintained in a steady position so that the sights are to be aimed directly at a target aiming point for a lengthy period of time, or if the rifle is to be moved to aim the sights directly at a moving target aiming point, then this can result in considerable physical strain on the part of the user and may result in the user tiring and/or becoming less accurate.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a solution to the problem of maintaining the sights of a rifle aimed directly at a target aiming point whilst the user is in the prone position. There also exists a need for a solution to the problem of maintaining the sights of the rifle aimed at a target aiming point without the need to carry and place a support device beneath the butt of the rifle and without the need to make manual adjustments to the height of the butt above a supporting surface such as by manually rotating a screw thread assembly requiring movement of the user's hand. There also exists a need to provide a means for minimising the time required to reacquire a target aiming point after firing a shot with the rifle.